I am a gay man, I'm not into any of the camp/gay scene and im more or less straight-acting.
Later i've been contemplating using craigslist to meet fellas to a night, but i'm worried i could get a psycho or something.

is there anyone out there who can vouch for the irish craigslist?
it's hard to have a decent night of fun when you're not in the scene i find. and I've no other gay friends to experience anything with.

i'd be willing to put an ad in the personals and include some things about being safe etc.
but how would i know when reading replies who to go for and who to steer clear of?

I wasn't aware anyone in Ireland actually used Craigslist apart from American tourists? Surely you'd be better off (I use the term loosely ) with gaydar or gayromeo or something like that?

Also, by "the scene" I presume you mean pubs and clubs. As far as I'm aware there's a lot more to them than just the stereotypical camp clientele. Beyond that though, there are lots of sports and activity groups you could join. Far more interesting to make friends and expand your social circle than sit on the internet and trawl through profiles?

I'd recommend Gaire, but (a) it can be just as creepy, and (b) it's recently become subscription-based for anyone who hasn't been there for a while.

Since you're just looking for hookups, Gaydar is probably your best bet. Sadly, experience and a healthy dose of skepticism are the only ways to weed out guys you wouldn't want to meet. Avoid the words "discrete" (a cheater who can't spell) and "discreet" (still a cheater, but a better-educated one), people who won't send you a picture of their face (closeted and/or cheater), people who lie about their age (it's usually pretty obvious), and people who just sound creepy. Em, good luck!

For dating, though I realise this isn't directly relevant to the OP, I recommend OKCupid. Weeds out the creepy guys pretty well.

There is a bit of the mens scene geared towards guys who are most masculine - stuff like bear nights and rugby club etc. Furry Glen @ Pantibar might suit guys who prefer their man hairier and more padded.